Language choice in religious domains: Exegesis from the Qur’an at Masjidul Qudwah, Tamale, Ghana

Abstract

This paper explores language choice in Islamic discourse, focusing on Tafseer sessions at Masjidul Qudwah. Three languages- Arabic, Dagbani, and English—are employed for various purposes. Arabic is the primary language due to its doctrinal significance, facilitating deeper commentary. Dagbani, the dominant local language, reflects community usage and accessibility. English, though not commonly spoken locally, is utilized to engage a wider audience, particularly through social media. Despite the presence of larger mosques conducting Tafseer in Ramadan, Masjidul Qudwah stands out for its multilingual approach. The preference for English and Dagbani over Hausa, despite the latter’s prevalence among the Zongo communities, underscores unique linguistic dynamics. The data for this study was gathered during Ramadan of 2023. Videos of the daily tafseer sessions were downloaded from the Facebook wall of Masjidul Qudwah while the researcher was away from Tamale, where the mosque is located. The videos were transcribed and studied, paying attention to the number of languages used. This study suggests that future research should conduct a comparative analysis of language choices in Tafseer, particularly between English and Hausa alongside Dagbani, offering insights into how language choice shapes interpretations and engagement with the Qur’an.